MUMBAI: The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft (NZFACT) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have announced a partnership that will strengthen New Zealand’s anti-piracy capacity with PwC providing specialist forensic investigative assistance and helping to raise awareness of the damage piracy does to the New Zealand film and television industry.

PwC will provide forensic computing investigative assistance to support NZFACT, the New Zealand Police and the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in investigations of film and television piracy, assistance necessitated by the increasing sophistication of piracy operations and the increasing incidence of Internet piracy.

PwC will also assist with NZFACT’s 2008 educational outreach program, supporting publicity campaigns that will raise public awareness of the financial and job losses that piracy causes in New Zealand’s film and television industry.

"We welcome PwC’s participation in combating piracy" said Motion Picture Association president and managing director Mike Ellis. "Piracy hurts the economies of every country in the Asia Pacific region. This alliance with PricewaterhouseCoopers will help convince Kiwis to take a moment to consider the damage they’ll do to the New Zealand economy if they buy, burn or download a pirated movie."

PwC’s leader in Investigations and Forensic Services John Fisk said "Copyright theft is a massive global problem from which our country is not exempt. We are looking forward to working with NZFACT, the Police and the DIA to reduce piracy in New Zealand."